Lesson One

1. Throne Room Part 1 (Revelation 4)

a. Open Door

i. Speaks about a glimpse of heaven. Not the full view but a partial view of what is going on

ii. Through a supernatural vision, John is given limited access in the going-ons of heaven.

b. Upward Call

i. Trumpet Voice

ii. Open heavens lead to a message of hope for the beleaguered believers

iii. The seer is called up to heave like Moses is called up the mountain (Exodus 24:12-18)

iv. Application of being called up is a call to worship. What are we seeking after? God is always calling up higher in our seeking. He always challenges us to lift up our eyes higher.

1. We are not to focus our worship at the bottom of the Mountain—Surface Worship. This kind of worship seeks after the supernatural power and miracle works of God (the unapproachable light). This kind of worship is not true worship but only a fascination kind of worship. It seeks to see how amazing God is from a distance without getting to close to him.

2. We are not to focus our worship at the middle of the mountain—Safe Worship. This kind of worship seeks after getting as much as we can of God without giving anything up of ourselves. It seeks to sit on the fence between two groups: worldly ways and godly ways. This is not true worship. True worship involves becoming a living sacrifice.

3. We are to focus our worship at the top of the mountain—Soul Worship. This is the kind of worship draws near to God so that our vision of him becomes clearer, our love for him becomes greater, and our enjoyment of him becomes fuller.

c. God on his Throne

i. The first thing John sees in the throne in heaven. The throne is the centerpiece in heaven. The most spectacular image and beauty to behold.

ii. The throne of God in the book of Revelation is in contrast to the throne of Satan (13:5 verses 13:2).

iii. God is the king and sovereign majesty. He is highly exalted (Isaiah 6)

iv. God is so revered that John refuses to name the Person on the throne (he even omits the pronoun in the language), instead he uses brilliant colours of precious jewels to describe God. He doesn’t even use anthropomorphic descriptors.

v. The bible describes God as light. And three translucent stones are used here.

1. The first one is like Jasper; it shines like crystal (not opaque like it is naturally on the earth).

2. The second stone is like Carnelian (fiery red)

3. The third stone is like Emerald, causing a rainbow to encircle the throne like a halo of light, which points to the rainbow in Gen 9:13-17 (Covenant with Noah).

vi. These three jewels don’t necessarily have individual significance, but a collected significance from the Old Testament:

1. Ezekiel 28:28:13 – King of Tyre

2. Exodus 28:17-21 – These three stones are part of 12 stones on the breastplate of the priest. Each stone represents each tribe: Jasper = Benjamin, Carnelian = Ruben, Emerald = Judah)

3. 1 Timothy 6:16 – the idea of God in an unapproachable light. Albert Einstein’s properties of light having non-material element comes close to describing God as light.

d. Who are the Four Living Beings (4:6b-8a)

i. These beings are in an inner circle with the thrown itself. They are “around” and in the “middle” of the throne (5:6). This means they're in the immediate vicinity of the throne. They're beside the throne surrounding it with their presence.

ii. These heavenly beings are full of eyes. This means unceasing vigilance; they are extensions of God’s omniscience, watching over his creation. Nothing can be withheld from these beings.

iii. Four images of these creatures: the lion, the ox, the face of a man, and the eagle. These symbolically speak about the noblest, strongest, wisest, and swiftest in God’s creation.

iv. These creatures are combination of Cherubim in Ezek 1 and Seraphim in Isaiah 6. They both guard the Tree of Life (Gen 3:24), stretching over the Ark (Ex 24:18-20); they lead worship (Isaiah 6:3).

v. They also take the lead in pouring out divine judgment, representing the highest order of celestial beings.

vi. They transcend nature, but at the same time they represent the whole of the created order as they stand before God. They are the cream of the crop.

e. 24 Thrones and 24 Elders with gold crowns and white clothes

i. These persons are on their thrones around the throne and the four living creatures

ii. Are the Elders humans or angels?

1. They are clothed in white with crown of gold; these are worn by saints (3:4-5, 18; 6:11; 7:9, 13; 19:14)

2. Are they the 12 patriarchs, apostles or the whole people of God (21:12-14)? Are they the saints of the Old Testament, NT or are they the whole community built on the 24 order of Priesthood in 1 Chronicles 24:4-5? Are they the Church as the true Israel, the heavenly counterpart of all “victors” who remain true to God? Are they a heavenly court sitting on thrones of judgment fulfilling 3:21?

3. Some say they can be angels according to Is 24:23. May be a weak argument here.

4. I have a tendency to believe they are saints according to Hebrews 12:1, more on this discussion later.

f. Celestial Phenomena from the Throne

i. Further description of throne room combines with Old Testament metaphors from Mt. Sinai to the Temple to creation:

1. 4:4 – focus is “around the throne” (rainbow)

2. 4:5a – focus is “proceeds from the throne” (flashes of lightening)

3. 4:5b-6a – “before the throne” (Sea of glass)

ii. All these images of the throne have connections in the Old Testament with God and his judgment:

1. Rainbow = God promise to judge the world not with water but with fire (Genesis 9:12-17; 1 Peter 3:3-7). Also read Luke 3:16 and 12:49 this pending fiery judgment.

2. “Flashes of lighting” speaks of the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night that guided and protected, and corrected the Israelites in the Wilderness.

3. The Sea of glass has connection to God transcendence (holiness) and expanse (or firmament). The firmament is what God laid out in Genesis 1:7, separating the water from the dry land. That later developed the sea on the earth. Sea in Old Testament speaks of the chaotic evil that is in the world. That is why it says in Revelation 21:1, in the new earth will have no more sea. The sea of God’s judgment (his transcendent holiness) will take out the sea of evil.

iii. In other words, the initial vision of God in heaven shows how he is coming to judge and rule the world. These are judgment passage in the midst of worshiping God in heaven.

iv. 4:5-6a is the core of chapter 4, speaking about the work that God is doing himself in his creation.

1. The lightening, the roar of storms and thunder points to God’s judgment on evil. This points to seven seals (8:5), seven trumpets (11:9), and seven bowls (16:15) that is about to be talked about in later chapters.

2. The torches (seven blazing lamps) are symbols of judgment in the apocalyptic writings (8:10). John is preparing the reader about the Judgment that God is about to do against evil.

g. Worship of Celestial Beings

i. Ceaseless worship of the four living beings both day and night there was no rest. (Rather is was their rest i.e. Sabbath. Resting in the presence of God)

ii. The primary duty of the celestial beings is to worship, praising God for his power and Lordship over creation. While we see that they had other functions as depicted in the book of Revelation (calling for judgment and watching over God creation), all grow out of their primary work: worship/Sabbath.

iii. Chapter four’s emphasis is for the preparation for divine judgment through worship. The destruction of evil is necessary before eternity can begin.

iv. The emphasis is to worship the God who delivers and vindicates his people, and who judges evildoers. This demonstrates God’s omnipotent love.

v. Celestial worship is lead by the four living creatures. They celebrate God’s holiness (“wholly other”), his omnipotence (“Lord of hosts”) and his eternity the (“I Am”).